Pressure assisted polymer removal from glass optical fibres

Abstract

Standard commercial glass based optical fibers are being covered with protective polymer coatings which need to be removed in some processes i.e. before welding. In this paper a novel, pressure based technique of polymer removal from optical fiber has been presented in which the optical fiber is placed between two polymer foils and two PCBs (Printed Circuit Board), and then high pressure is applied. Various pressure conditions have been tested resulting in flawless bare fiber up to 120 bars. Stripping effect has been observed as low as 10 Bars. This method is excellent for quick removal of relatively large areas of polymer for i.e. integration of the fiber optics with LTCC.